It Ain't Over Yet
by Pikeru's Angel
Summary: You thought it was finished? Well let me tell you something - it ain't over yet. Little interconnected things set after Not So never Ending. AU for season six. Warning: Language, possible slash but mostly friendship, and mentions of torture.
1. A Good Man Goes to War

"We need you, Koschei. They have my _wife_, my _daughter_. The Doctor needs all the help he can get."

"No."

"No?"

"Did you not hear me?"

"Why are you saying no?"

"Are we suddenly playing twenty questions?"

"Koschei, I'm not kidding. Why won't you help?"

"It's Demon's Run."

"And?"

"And I refuse to watch this good man go to war."

{][][}

**A/N: And so begins the one-shots and such set in my Koschei verse... With a slightly-over-half drabble. :| Hm.**

**Sooo... Yeah. *points to review button)**

**~Piki :B**


	2. Point To the Stars

It's quiet… calm… peaceful. The waves slowly roll toward the shore, reflecting the setting sun in their depths. The sky is an unimaginable reddish pink with a light blue running along the edges and running off into the depths of the sky. A lone figure sits on the rocks. He seems small in comparison to the large expanse of sea in front of him. A leather jacket lays discarded beside him. It had gotten too warm for it ages ago.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Koschei blinked, head jerking to where the Doctor had silently sat down beside him.

"More like a dollar," he mutters in response. The Doctor lets out a jerky laugh, still shaken by the other Time Lord's near death not two days previous. Koschei glared at him, but it was more going through the motions again. His eyes were soft and confused but still full of adoration. The Doctor looked away with a slight blush. The look still seemed foreign on that face and, if he was to be honest, it was disconcerting.

Koschei looked back at the ocean's blue. "I still don't understand." The brunette gives him a brief confused look. "I mean, all of this. You could have let me die and it would have been so much simpler for you but you didn't. You could have pawned me off on someone else or left me stranded somewhere, but you didn't. You could keep me under essential house arrest in the TARIDS to where I can't even leave my room without you, but you don't. Instead you patch me up and take me to some beach in Washington state while the Pond's wander about."

A shrug. "Not as if I wasn't keeping an eye on you." There's a moment of silence and the crashing of the waves seems to get louder.

"That's not the point." Koschei continues. "The point is that you're… you're treating me like nothing happened. Like nine hundred _years_ didn't happen. And you know what? I don't get it." He gaze drops downward slightly, eyes focusing on a log stuck between the rock getting covered by the ocean blue. "Any other person on the planet -except perhaps Amy- would have done one of those things by now."

The Doctor chuckled, leaning back on his elbows. "I'm going to tell you what I told little Amelia when she was seven and I want you to try and remember it, Kosch. It's important." Koschei stiffened slightly, but nodded. The other Time Lord smiled. "_I'm not people."_

_The blond relaxed as he burst out laughing, laying back on the rock to look up at the pinkish clouds above. "No, I don't suppose you ever were, were you?"_

"_Not a once," the bowtie wearing brunette said with a grin._

_The Doctor leaned back with his companion, staring up at the stars as they began to appear with the setting sun._

"_Point where you wanna go," he whispered as Koschei's breathing evened out beside him. "I'll take you anywhere."_


	3. Only When We're Alone

"_You can call me… sexy."_

"_Only when we're alone!"_

"_We are alone."_

The words run around the Doctor's head as he works under the TARDIS consol, Koschei half-asleep just meters away in the chair.

"_Only when we're alone!"_

They were alone now, right?

"Koschei," he said suddenly. The younger Time Lord jolted up, blinking the fogginess from his mind.

"You can call me Theta."

"What?"

"Only when we're alone, I mean."

A pause.

"And variations thereupon?" Koschei asked curiously.

"Of course. I call you Kosch, don't I?" The Doctor grinned up at him through the glass floor.

"All right then, Theet."


	4. It Won't  It Will

The Doctor smiled happily to himself as he walked back to his room. Captain Avery and Toby were safe and happy, Rory had escaped death again and Koschei hadn't gotten involved so his healing injuries hadn't been worsened. All was right in the TARDIS.

He stepped into the room with a spring in his step but he froze before he'd even shut the door. Koschei was just lying there on his bed, curled around the pillow. Dried tear tracks shone against his paler than usual cheeks. The smile slid off the Doctor's face at the sight, eyes wide. He couldn't think of what could have possibly…

In a split second he was beside the blond, shaking his shoulders gently. "Kosch," he whispered. "Koschei, wake up. What happened, Kosch? Was it a nightmare? Kosch, I need you to _wake up_!"Reddened eyes slowly opened, widening almost immediately. The look of pure shock that crossed Koschei's face -the same look the Doctor had had on his own face when he found out that Koschei was alive- was heartbreaking.

"Doctor?" He asked quietly. He uncurled, throwing his arms around his friend's neck. "Oh God, I thought you'd died. I-I couldn't feel you anymore. It was you'd just dropped out of the universe." He pulled back, eyes shining with fresh tears. "Don't you _dare_ ever do that to me again, you hear me Doctor? I can't be you and the universe needs a Doctor and how-how can I be that?" He buried his head in the crook of the other Time Lord's neck, shuddery breaths shaking his skinny frame. The Doctor sat there, frozen, before awkwardly rubbing soft circles on the other's back.

"It's okay, Koschei," he said soothingly, glancing up at the ceiling. "I'm here. I'm okay, Koschei, I'm always okay. I'm alive and well and you don't need to worry. You never need to worry." Koschei's shoulders twitched under his fingers and he could feel the tears pressed into his neck. A thought spurred to his mind, the words leaving his mouth unbidden. "Why are you in my room?"

Koschei pulled back sharply, somewhat belatedly wiping the tears from his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered, averting his eyes quickly. "I-I wasn't thinking properly. I'll go." He's about to stand up when the Doctor catches his wrist, keeping him firmly in place.

"I'm sorry I worried you," the brunette said, the unfamiliar words coming thick and confused off his tongue. "It won't happen again."

The younger man barked out a harsh laugh, snatching his hand back. "Yes it will," he said harshly. "It always will."

Seconds later the door slams and the Doctor is left alone.


	5. Who the Hell?

There was a knock on the door.

This didn't surprise Koschei much. They were in nineteen sixties London, after all. Someone might have tried the door, found it locked, and then wondered who might be in there when they needed to use the phone. (Human's were self important like that.)

So, of course, he went over and unlocked it, opening his mouth to tell whoever it was to sod off. The word's died on his lips when the curly haired woman hugged him with a very large grin on her face.

"Koschei!" She said happily. "So good to see you again, sweetie. Is the Doctor in?" She pulled back, shutting the door behind her. She was in a flowing red dress that belonged about a decade previous and heels that clicked on the floor with each step. He could see the outlines of a small blaster in her purse.

Koschei blinked at her. "Who are you?"

"It's been so long since I've seen you," she said without hearing him, turning around with an even bigger grin. "Always good to have you in the TARDIS. Has the Doctor been a good boy lately?"

"Has the Doctor…?" Koschei muttered, eyes widening. "Doctor!" He shouted, still eyeing the woman.

The Doctor popped his head in before breaking into a grin. "River!" He shouted joyously. "When did you get here?"

"Oh, just decided to pop by. You need to get rid of that St. John's sticker, sweetie - it gives you away to anyone that knows your TARDIS." She winked at him, a small smirk spreading across her face.

Nodding his head toward the woman Koschei raised an eyebrow at the Doctor. "Who the hell is she?"

The woman -River- cocked her head at him, brow furrowed. "How long have you been in the TARIDS?" She asked. Koschei shrugged, body tense.

"Almost two weeks." he answered. She winced marginally, letting out a hiss between her teeth.

"Oh, not a good time to just drop by then, is it?" She winked at the Doctor, turning for the door. "See you later, sweetie."

And she was gone.

"Who the hell was she?"

{][][}

**A/N: I'm getting increasingly happy with these. ^_^ Honestly it's quite odd. Usually I get less happy with my work as it progresses. Maybe it's because it's just in the same 'verse and not in any way chronological order? It does make me stress a bit less about them.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed!**

**~Piki :B**


	6. Nightmares

"_It would be hell for me imprisoned here with you," you snarl. The word's are unfamiliar on your tongue and you know they don't belong here. Not right now. Not with you dying in his arms. These aren't the words your should be saying. You shouldn't be spitting them out like poison. You should be smirking and gloating at your victory with pain lacing your words, not this._

_His body heaves with a heavy sob as he clutches your dying body. Tears shine in those brown eyes and you want nothing more than to apologize and regenerate just to bring the light back to that hollowness you see._

"_You can't die, Master. Please," he says desperately. You spit the blood coming from your lungs onto that pinstripe suit of his._

"_No," you reply simply. Had you sounded that cruel then? That pleased at his suffering? The thought makes you sick to your stomach. You'd been such a _monster_ back then, there's no denying it._

"_No. Please. You've got to. Please! We're the only ones left! Please, just __**REGENERATE**__!" The last word is an awful sort of screeching sound in your head, almost too distorted to make it out. It hurts so much, because you remember how he'd clutched his body after you'd shut his eyes even if one of your hearts was faintly beating and you were still aware. You know that that one screeched out word shows every bit of pain and sorrow must have felt over your death. And why would he feel like that? Because he was the last again? Certainly not over you. It just… couldn't be. No one cried over you - no one was supposed to cry over something evil being destroyed._

_You smirk up at him, feeling your heart stutter to a halt._

"_I win."_

{][][}

Koschei snapped up in his bed, eyes wide and a scream seeming to stick in his throat. He gasped for breath, trying desperately to sooth the erratic beating of his hearts. "That didn't happen," he said to himself, the words choppy. "You… that's in the past. You're here now. You're _forgiven_, he said so." He nodded to himself, easing his mind away from the sorrow that still shone behind the Doctor's bright green eyes.

There was a small knock on the door, the sound coming off as nervous. "Kosch?" The Doctor's voice echoed behind the wood. "Kosch, are you all right? I heard a scream…" Koschei blushed, embarrassed that he'd been audible in his nightmare.

"I'm perfectly fine," he replied stiffly. The Doctor sighed and Koschei heard a small _thump_ as he leaned against the door.

"You sure?" Koschei scoffed at the concern. He wasn't worthy of this man's kindness and he knew it. He could (had to) deal with his problems himself.

"Yes, now go back to bed. Rassilon knows how much sleep you get without checking up on me!" He sighed in a long suffering manner and he could see the Doctor's disbelieving nod in his mind's eye.

"Goodnight then, Kosch."

Koschei sighed.

"Goodnight, Theet."


	7. Crack

He's not sure what they're talking about. All he knows is that they're exchanging stories, writing them down to be put in the TARDIS library. Something about Amy wanting fairytales to tell her children when (_if_) they visit her "magic Doctor"… should she have children, that is.

Koschei is moderately sure he's supposed to be Amy's sounding board as the Doctor writes, but he doesn't care enough to really pay attention. He just keeps skimming through photo albums with the sounds of the typewriter and Amy's Scottish tones as background music. But then he hears something. Something familiar and strange and… it couldn't be, right?

"…a crack in my bedroom wall. Like a crooked smile and I could hear voices from it - Prisoner Zero has escaped," she puts on a stuffy posh accent for that, which would have made Koschei laugh if he hadn't been so focused on what she was describing. "It was huge! Almost as tall as I was back then, and I was no short-stuff even at seven. Two parts in time that should never have touched, isn't that what you said Doctor?"

The typing pauses for a second. "I think so, yeah," the brunette replied distractedly. Koschei blinked, eyes snapping to Amy.

"What do you mean a crack?" He asked suspiciously. His mind flashed back to that damnable cell, to Gallifrey, and he could still remember every detail. The way the chains sounded with his every move, how his voice echoed, and most of all how there was a crack on the wall like a politicians crooked smile. "Did it glow?" That's one thing he remembered. He remembered it glowing, just faintly, and voices coming from it. Now that he looks back voices that sounded oddly like Amy and Rory…

Amy shrugged in response. "It was just a crack, you know? Like," she paused. "Sort of shaped like this." She motioned in the air with her hands and Koschei drew the picture in his head. It was exactly like…

"It's like the crack in my cell!" He blurted. The Doctor's head snapped up.

"What?" he said confusedly. Amy could only blink. Koschei grinned inwardly. Finally, after all those months, an explanation!

"There was a crack back in my cell on Gallifrey!" He shouted triumphantly, the manic grin slowly spreading across his face. "It glowed and there were voices and - how did Prisoner Zero escape, Pond?" He'd never called Amy 'Pond' before.

The ginger blinked at him. "He came through the cra-"

"I knew it!" Koschei said, jumping to his feet. "I knew I didn't just end up here and the time Lord's - they were having too much _fun_ to send me back! I knew there had to be some other way for me to have ended up - but you mentioned the cracks were gone. How did I come through the cracks if the cracks are gone?" He slumped back down in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. The Doctor grinned at him.

"The universe can't go on without you in there somewhere," he muttered. Koschei glared at him. "Well, and the crack's probably showed up in a Time Lock of all things 'later' than they did for us."

The cheeky grin stayed on his face even as Koschei threw the large tome in his hands at him.


	8. Going, Going, Gone

It had been years; more years than either of them cared to count. The Doctor was on his thirteenth regeneration, Koschei his third since coming aboard the TARDIS. Amy and Rory had long since gone and companions had came and went. Now they were mostly traveling like the Doctor had said they would when they were both just children. Of course the universe still needed to be saved now and again, but it was mostly seeing the sights that the whole of creation had to offer.

It's another quiet day and the Doctor runs a hand through his (finally) ginger hair at how awkward the silence is. It hadn't been awkward in months, if not years.

Koschei cleared his throat, leaning against the consol that's been changed a dozen times and will be changed a dozen and a half more. "I think it's time for me to go," he said solemnly. The Doctor blinked, hazel eyes wide.

"Kosch! What are you…?" His voice is laced over with hurt and Koschei sighed.

He looked at the other man slowly, gaze unwavering in the gloom. "You heard me damn well, Theta Sigma. Don't make me repeat myself." It was clearly just as hard for him to be saying the words as it was for the Doctor to be hearing them. The older Time Lord blinked back tears.

"Why?" He asked simply. Hidden questions abound were hidden in the word. Why are you leaving? Why would you want to? Where are you going? Is it something I did? Why are you leaving me alone again, Koschei?

The (once again) blond shook his head slightly. "Theet, you have to believe me when I say that this has been the best time or my life - lives, really. I'm-I'm sane and I'm _happy_ and, and I never thought I'd get past the guilt but I _have_." His gaze hardened suddenly, then softened again. "I just think it's time for me to, you know, try it on my own. Get yourself a vortex manipulator and relax for a hundred years or so. Five hundred and seven regenerations will only last you so long. You've downed twelve, Doctor. Just give me nine regenerations and I'll meet you again, yeah?" He gave a thin smile, a tear trailing down his pale cheek. "I need to try my hand at saving the universe and there's a lovely family vacationing in Rio who would love to come along."

The Doctor blinked, then sat down, then cried. Koschei walked over slowly, one hand going to his friend's shoulder. "I'll be back. Promise. What was that daft old human thing you used to make me do? Back when we were kids?" The Doctor gave him a watery smile.

"Cross my hearts and hope to die-"

"-Stick a sonic in my eye." Koschei finished with a laugh, tears falling freely with the Doctor's. "Well I do. Cross my hearts and hope to die I will be _back_ Theta. Just let me explore on my own a bit."

"Well," the Doctor said slowly. "I've never _really_ explored Earth. Not all of it. Do you think a hundred years'll cover it all?"

Koschei smiled. "Perfectly."

{][][}

**A/N: Just so you guys know now the answer is _no_. Absolutely not. No stories will be coming any time soon of Koschei traveling with the Ponds. (Because, honestly, who else would be in Rio? XD)**

**Also, make your own little head canon on the facts I've given you on what this Doctor and Master look like, right down to the dress. I didn't want to go into a lengthly explanation and I was too lazy to pick actors anyway. So whoever you like, really. It could be Alex Day and Chris Pine for all I care. (How that would work in with ginger I haven't the foggiest, but hell, it would be your head canon.)**

***gives brief thumbs up before disappearing to a Vogon ship***

**~Piki :B**

**p.s. Is it just me or is every even numbered chapter so far... heavy? I mean emotionally. If so it is entirely unintended.**


	9. On Names

"You're nickname in school was _Theta Sigma_?" Amy said incredulously.

Koschei snickered quietly, more glad than he should have been about the slip up. "Oh yeah," he said. "Though that's not what everyone called him. Remember those two guys that had a crush on you, Doc? What did they call you again? Thetasi? Thetazi?"

The Doctor groaned into his palms.

"Thetazi?" Amy cried. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Well, on Gallifrey it meant-"

"Shut up!"

"-and something about sex, for the zi part."

"What?"

"Theta meant "weak psychic link" and Sigma was "healer". Adding "zi" to the end of a name, however, meant something about sex. Can't remember what. Can you, Theet?"

"…Then what does "Koschei" mean?"

Silence.

"Yeah _Koschei_, what does your name mean?

Koschei crossed his arms childishly, mumbling out a response.

"Pardon?" Amy said theatrically. "Didn't quite catch that."

"'Small friend.'"

"Wow. They pegged you on that one, didn't they?"

"Shut up!"

{][][}

**A/N: Just so everyone knows, I have no idea what the Gallifreyan names would actually translate to. I just wanted to add a bit of name-related comedy, okay?**

**Also, in case you couldn't tell, the "Gallifreyan" meaning is completely different from the Earth meaning Basically, I made shit up for the sake of a laugh.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~Piki :B**


	10. First Time

None of them know how it happens.

Koschei refused to tell them.

It's months after Demon's Run and the Silence and River/Melody Song/Pond. They're just having a nice little adventure around Christmas and Koschei had wandered off. He usually did, and usually ended up saving everyone because of it.

They were in nineteen thirties America though. Crime was not uncommon.

The story they would never know involved a young girl, her father, and some branch of the Mafia. Or something like that. Koschei couldn't remember the details himself. All he knew for sure is that he was stupid and got himself shot trying to save the human girl who could have been no older than eight. He didn't know why he interfered - it was a human thing anyway, nothing to do with him. But he had, and look where he was now.

He'd been shot just above one of his hearts. His lung had been punctured in the process. It gave him fifteen minutes to get to the TARDIS before he bled out where he could hope and pray the Doctor made it in time. He didn't want to regenerate alone again.

He made it in five.

When the Doctor and Amy (Rory had bluntly refused and decided to go back home) finally made it back it had been almost ten minutes since Koschei stumbled in to the TARDIS. There had been blood on the door, the coat rack, the railing, the consol, and all over the glass floor. Clearly he'd had a rough time making it to the chair where he'd sat, a hand over his shoulder and sobbing despite the extra pain it brought. It hurt more than you'd expect, being shot. Or maybe that was just because of his life slowly draining out and on to the floor.

_Wish I'd gotten the leather jacket off sooner,_ he thought. _It was the only one the Doctor had from Nine._

"Oh God," the Doctor whispered. "Oh my God." He rushed to his friends side, placing a hand over Koschei's bloodied one. "Can you regenerate? Good Lord, Koschei, how did this happen? Do you think you'll be able to regenerate?"

As though answering for him Koschei's hand glowed, the light slowly engulfing him. The Doctor took a hurried step back. Regeneration energy could be detrimental if one was close enough - the sudden life going through someone's body could overwhelm their system and simply stop their heart(s).

"Doctor, he'll be okay, right?" Amy questioned, voice shaking as she watched Koschei collapse from the chair, curling up as the golden waves surrounded him. She had a feeling a regeneration wasn't supposed to look like that.

"His body is trying to make up for the lost blood," the Time Lord answered tonelessly. "He should be fine. I had a friend back in school who died the same way. He got a nasty gash and refused to go to the infirmary. It looked a lot like this but…"

Amy's head snapped over to him. "But what?"

"But his body hadn't been through so much strain." The Doctor looked down at his friend. He should have been fine know. He should have been sleeping it off. A regeneration wasn't supposed to take nearly a minute. "Koschei… Koschei's been through a lot in this one - more than I've ever seen. He regenerated into it because he was shot with a laser, then he was shot and died, then brought back to life in a dying body that was healed, and then he nearly died again from his heart stopping. I don't know if he'll be okay, Amy."

Just as he said this Koschei's body stopped glowing. He was smaller now, probably a bit shorter too, and his hair was a soft brown. The Doctor held his breath for a second, waiting, when Koschei's new body shuddered. He let out a sigh of relief, dropping to the other Time Lord's side. "Are you okay, Kosch? Do you need anything?"

The small body beside him slowly unfurled and large brown eyes blinked up at him. "Doctor?" The new voice was strange and oddly Irish accented. "Doctor, am I okay?"

Overcome with relief the Doctor pulled him into a tight hug. "Perfectly fine now, Kosch." He said. "You're okay now."

{][][}

**A/N: ...because I simply can't add enough angst. XD**

**For those that are curious, this regeneration bares a striking resemblance to Andrew Scott when he played Jones in My Life in Film. *gives brief thumbs up with a cheeky grin***

**~Piki :B**


	11. Thetazi

**Warning: Heavy pre-slash!**

"_Thetazi._" The word is tantalizing as it skips off your tongue not entirely of your own accord. It's not really appropriate because all you're doing is calling to ask where the hell something is (what that something happens to be you aren't not sure of anymore). Still, it hops out of your mouth and he practically jumps in surprise.

"What was that Koschei?" He questioned, eyes alight with curiosity. You ignore how much you wish the response had been _Koschzi_.

"Nothing, Theet. I forgot." You offer with a tight lipped smile

He doesn't need to know about your one-sided affections.

{][][}

**A/N: I never actually explained what adding "zi" to the end of the name meant. It essentially means "[insert name here] I want to shag your brains out." And yes, this is likely as close to slash as you'll be getting. Probably. And yes, Koschzi because Koscheizi just sounsd idiotic.**

**~Piki :B**


	12. Koschzi

You've always known that you were thick when it came to things like romance but you honestly hadn't thought you were that thick.

Because when he called you _Thetazi_ of all things you _hadn't noticed_.

You wish so badly that you could respond differently - that you'd heard what he'd said better. To be perfectly honest you'd been trapped in your own mind at the time so it was quite startling to be brought back out.

But now… now he'd think that he'd called you Thetazi and you simply hadn't cared.

Nothing was further from the truth.

_I'm sorry, Koschzi._


	13. Busy

"_Oh, I had lessons from the very best. […] It's a shame you were busy that day."_

"No, no, no, the zig zag plotter, not the atom accelerator!" Koschei shouted, quickly righting the mistake his pupil had just made.

"Well excuse me!" River scoffed. "Not as if you told me that before I'd already fumbled with the atom accelerator!"

Koschei groaned as he checked the scanner. "Great, now we're on Barcelona of all places." He held up a hand as River opened her mouth. "The planet, not the place on Earth."

River sighed heavily, crossing her arms as she leaned against the rails. "Why can't the Doctor teach me?" She wondered aloud. Koschei glared.

"He can't teach you because he's rearranging the wardrobe... or something. I'm not sure. Now let's try again."


	14. In the Dark

The Doctor stumbled back to his rooms, tears welling in his emerald green eyes. The Pond's had finally -blessedly- gone to their new room with a nice king size bed and he'd fixed up the TARDIS as well as he could. She'd landed them somewhere, though he didn't know where and had no intention of finding out. Honestly right then he was just tired. He wanted to get back to his room, perhaps have a good cry and sleep for a full eight hours even if he didn't need them. Luckily he'd been able to shoo Koschei back to his room after waking him up so that was a few dozen less questions he had to answer. All he needed to do was make it down the hall and through the door an no one would know what was going on.

It was dark, incredibly dark. It seemed wherever they'd landed it was night and the TARDIS was imitating the conditions outside. Still he managed to make it to his room. He didn't bother with the slights, instead shutting the door quietly. He barely made it two steps forward before collapsed on his knees, head bowed and arms hanging at his side. His breath hitched once, then twice, and soon enough he was sobbing quietly.

_Hello. Hello Doctor. It's so very, very nice to meet you_.

He sobbed harder, in a matter of seconds turning from upbeat Time Lord to a quivering silent mess.

She'd been with him for so long and finally, just this once, they could _talk_. He could listen to her, know what she thought, and then it was over. It was like she had died, in a way. Oh, he knew her soul was all around him, that the more soothing thrumming of the walls was her attempt to say 'I'm here, love' but it wasn't working. Because he couldn't talk to her. She was practically his wife and they couldn't even speak!

His own wife had died on Gallifrey before he'd even started traveling - before Susan was born. He'd been heartbroken for a decade and then his little Susan came shining through. In nine hundred years he'd become accustomed to his friends and family dropping like flies around him. This though… this was worse. Because the TARDIS was there. She would always be there. But they could never… interact.

There was a groan to his left and all the Doctor could think was '_That's not where my bed is._'

He wiped the tears from his eyes quickly, but they just kept falling. He remained completely still, dark-adjusted eyes flickering around. This wasn't his room. He didn't have a desk and the bed was in the wrong place and there should have been a large coat rack to his right.

It suddenly occurred to him that he'd stumbled back to his room not only with blurred vision but in near-pitch blackness.

"Doctor?" Koschei's sleep addled voice grumbled out. "What are you doing in here?"

"I- um- nothing. Came in by accident." The other Time Lord said quickly, wincing as he couldn't keep the tears from his voice. Slowly, like a large sloth, Koschei rolled out of bed. His hand thumped on the desk a few times as he searched for the light and almost twenty seconds later there was a small _click_ as it flickered on.

Koschei blinked, staring at his friend. The Doctor really was in a state, red rimmed eyes puffy, face flushed and bowtie askew looking like a kicked puppy.

"Are you alright?" Okay, stupid question of the day. _Did he look alright?_

The Doctor -idiot he was- nodded quickly, rushing to his feet. "Of course!" He said, voice layered in fake cheeriness and sorrow. "I'm always alright! Sort of tripped on my way in and I think there was some sort of pollen on the consol I'm allergic to." He sneezed loudly. "See? Just allergies. Now I'll be going back to my room…" He turned quickly, flinging open the door. Just as he was about to leave there was a shuffle and suddenly he was wrapped in a boney pair of arms.

"K-Kosch," the Doctor said in a questioning tone. "What are you doing?"

The arms around him tightened. "Shut up you idiot, I'm hugging you."

"I know but why?" There was a moment of silence and Koschei dropped his forehead on to the other Time Lord's shoulder.

"Because… you're upset." Koschei replied awkwardly, voice muffled by the tweed jacket. "And you've been trying to help me and you didn't let me die and even if I am broken you're still going to try and fix me and shouldn't I return the favor even if it's just this once?" His breath caught, just for a moment, like he was holding back tears.

Slowly, the Doctor turned in Koschei grip, skinny arms wrapping around the smaller form and the tears started coming down again. "You don't need to."

Koschei nodded, burying his head in the crook of the Doctor's neck. "Yes I do. Now be quiet and just… do what you need to."

So they stood there, in the half-light, clutching each other like they were the last beings in the universe.


	15. A Bit Longer

**Warning! Spoilers for "Let's Kill Hitler"!**

"Doctor… what the hell is this?"

The Doctor froze, eyes flickering to the screen. It looked like Koschei had looked up the history in the databanks and…

Oh no.

"It's nothing. Nothing at all." He said quickly, clearly lying through his teeth. Koschei snarled - literally _snarled_ back at him.

"Tell me what the hell this is, now!"

"Koschei, honestly, it's absolutely-"

"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME YOU COWARD!" Koschei shouted, voice shaking with rage. "Now tell me why the hell you have your time of death right _after_ I cam aboard!" He blinked back tears, lip trembling slightly. "You're you, aren't you? Not just a ganger? You're _you_… right Doctor?"

For a moment - just a moment - there was silence. You could actually hear the TARDIS's sight stasis thrumming it was so quiet.

"Kosch… I'm here," the Doctor said at last, taking a half step toward the blond. "I'm me. I think that's a future version of me that dies." He smiled sadly. "You have a bit longer with me yet."

The younger Time Lord nodded, just slightly. There was only one question running through his mind though.

_Why aren't I there when the Doctor dies?_


	16. Understanding Things

It's all a big misunderstanding, really.

It was right after Koschei's first regeneration. Now, the thing about regeneration is for the entire week after you're incredibly emotional and euphoric and you feel as though nothing could touch you. Even if you were supposed to be resting it wasn't uncommon for a Time Lord to stay awake, bouncing around doing this or that until they crashed as soon as that week was up. The other thing is that, as soon as you did fall asleep, you were dead to the world for a full twenty-four hours. This was a bit not good considering most Time Lords also didn't eat for the week duration. Still, you survived, you just wanted to gorge yourself once you woke up.

Now the thing about Koschei is that, most of the time, he didn't do what was normal. Except post regeneration it seemed. Because he was bouncing around the TARDIS, fixing thing under the consol, and generally being quite annoying but very _quietly_.

On the second day it was all fine. He could last a bit longer and it would be hypocritical of the Doctor to ask him to go to bed. Beside's, he honestly wasn't being that terrible no matter how many times he'd accidentally moved the bedrooms.

By day four the Doctor was starting to get frustrated. Even by now most Time Lords would have dropped for a quick nap!

Around the time day six rolled around he'd had enough.

"Koschei, you need to go to sleep!" The Doctor said in a pleading tone, fiddling with his bowtie nervously.

The shorter man shrugged, continuing to tinker with the Doctor's old sonic screwdriver. "I'm fine for a few days."

"A fe- Koschei, you've been awake for six days straight! Any longer and you're going to end up passing out on the TARDIS floor!"

Koschei gave a brief dismissive wave of the hand. "Oh, pish posh. I'm good for a bit."

The Doctor Took a step forward, grabbing the other Time Lord by the wrist and dragging him to the bed. "I'm telling you-!"

"Doctor I'm-!"

With a hard tug the Doctor pushed his friend on to the bed, dragging himself as well and accidentally pinning the dark haired man's arms down.

The Doctor gaped, blinking with eyes wide as saucers in the _very_ compromising position they found themselves in. A slow blush spread across Koschei's pale face, his cheeks turning a dark pink. The Doctor started blushing in turn, going red at the tips of his ears.

"Umm…" He said slowly before bringing his hands up, as though burned. "Oh God, I'm-"

Koschei scotched further back on the bed slightly. "I think I'll-"

"Yes, and I need to-"

They would never understand how Amy got that picture, nor would they live it down.

{][][}

**A/N: My poor attempt in making up for not putting something up in _forever_. Sorry. :C**

**~Piki :B**


	17. Praise Him

**Warning: Spoilers for The God Complex**

He knows he shouldn't open his door. He shouldn't open _any_ of the doors - the Doctor said. But he's running and running and there's no one else there. No one will know… Besides, he could swear he hears that beast behind him, closing in. What choice does he have? That's what he'll say - what choice did he have? He honestly hadn't known the door was his own.

So he grasps the door slowly, eyes wide. He wonders what his greatest fear will be. He had fears, so many fears now, but what was the deepest routed? What had made a black hole where one of his hearts should have been?

With his free hand he runs a finger over the engraving on the door. A small number four. Nothing to be scared of, not anymore.

Without another thought he flings the door opens and suddenly he can't breathe.

On the floor, covered in blood (_so much blood_), lies the Doctor. His bowtie is half undone, the tweed jacket shredded to pieces, but his _eyes. _They aren't his eyes. They're Theta's, still wide and trusting and a light blue of the Earth's sky with flecks of chocolate brown. And that makes it hurt so much more.

"No!" Koschei screamed, forgetting himself for a moment as he runs over and clutches his dying friend in his arms, tears welling in his eyes. "Doctor, Doctor, stay with me!" There's too much blood, it's seeping into his clothes, into his skin. It's pouring out of an unknown wound.

(_Praise him_, the barest of thoughts, he doesn't even notice, _praise him_.)

The Doctor grinned cruelly showing teeth stained red in blood, more blood. "It's your fault, _Master_," he said and Koschei winced. "You killed me again and I'm not coming back this time."

"You can't," Koschei whispered brokenly. The Doctor never died, not for good. "You can't leave me alone, Theta!"

_(Praise him_, pretty little words whispered into his subconscious, _Praise him._)

"It's your fault, Master." _Always your fault, alwaysalwaysalways._

(_Praise him_, such nice words, such beautiful words, _Praise Him._)

"Koschei!" The Doctor said suddenly. Except the Doctor was dead, dead in his arms. A hand clutched his shoulder, pulling him away from the corpse. "Koschei, can you hear me?"

Chocking on a sob Koschei looked down. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

(_Praise Him_, perfect words, so perfect, and they make the hurt go away, _Praise Him_.)

The Doctor gulped harshly, eyes wide. "Koschei, Koschei I'm right here. I'm not dead. I'm alive, perfectly alive. See Koschei? I'm fine." He gave a shaky smile.

Koschei smiled back, but it was blissful. He blinked and the tears were gone and suddenly he seemed so at ease.

"_Praise Him_."

{][][}

**A/N: TGC, such good fic writing material. XD Sorry Kosch, but you know how I do.**

**To be continued maybe...?**

**~Piki :B**


End file.
